Sawmill setworks



April 21, 931. w. a. GRUETER 1,801,425

SAWMILL SETWORKS Filed May e, 192g z'sneets-sheet 1 April 21, 1931. w. s. @Ruf-:TER

SAWMILL SETWOBKS Filed May 6, 192s 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 21, 1931 UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM IB. GRUETER, OF MENOMINEE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE PRESCOTT COM- PANY, OF MENOMINEE, MICHIGAN, A CORFORATON OF MCHGAN SAW'IVIILLV SETWORKS Application filed May 6,

This invention relates in general to set works for sawmill carriages and more particularly to a power drive designed and adapted to be organized with the set shaft and set works for imparting advancing and receding motion tov the knees.

Various attempts have been made to utilize a power drive such as an electric motor or rope drive for actuating the set works of a sawmill carriage. Vhere an electric motor has been used, the motion transmission means between the motor and the set shaft has been elaborate and complicated and usually involves a plurality o-f countershafts and several sets of gearing. Where a rope drive has been employed, a pair of pulleys are actuated from the rope and there is a separate drive line between each pulley and a countershaft geared to the set shaft.

@ne of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a durable, efficient and readily controlled power unit wherein the mechanism employed between the motor and the set shaft is simplified and compacted to such extent as to render the set-works comparat-ively inexpensive to manufacture, easy and practically inexpensiveto maintain, and well adapted for convenient organization with a sawmill carriage. Multiplication of drive lines and complicated assemblies of shafting,.gearing, etc., are entirely eliminated and yet advancing or receding motion of the knees under the drive of a inotoris always under the complete controler' the opera-tor.

lIn carryingout the present invention the usual set shaft is provided and is geared in the conventional mannerto any convention- -al type of setting head. The power drive for the set shaft'consists of asingle countershaft geared to the set shaft and selectively driven in opposite directions from the motor employed. Usually an electric motor lisdesirable and its armature shaft has an extension which parallels the countershaft.

On the extension of the armature shaft, a drive pinion is keyed and constantly meshes with a driven gear rotatably mounted on the countershaft, but constrained to rotate therewith when desired by means of .a clutch 1929. lserial No. 360,879.

provided between the driven gear and the countershaft. The motor driven shaft also has a drive sprocket keyed thereto and meshing with a sprocket chain which is also trained over a driven sprocket wheel loosely mounted on the countershaft, but constrained to rotate therewith when desired by a clutch provided between the driven sprocket wheel and the countershaft.

Control means is provided for selectively throwing in either clutch whereby to impart advancing' or receding movement to the set shaft. The control means also has a neutral position in which both clutches are thrown out so that the set shaft may remain stationary even though the motor shaft is being rotated.

Other obj ects and advantages reside in certain novel features of the construction, arrangement and combination of parts which will kbe hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary view mainly in section taken on line l--l of Figure 2, pa ts being shown in elevation and the lower end portion of the column shaft andits beveled pinion being shown displaced angularly frein its true position for the sake of illustration;

Figure 2 is a similar view taken in the planr of line 2-2 of Figure 3;

Figur 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken online 3 3 of Figure 2; and

n igure et is a view in section taken on line /l-t of Figure 3. f

Referring to the drawings the numeral l designates a suitable casing which is secured in any conventional manner tothe sawmill carriage (not shown). A section of a set shaft is designated at 2 and is rotatably supported in suitable bearings provided in the casing l. -The set shaft 2 is geared to the vertical shaft 3 of a conventional set works. As the set works per se is no part of the presentinvention, it is not shown in detail. Any of the widely known set works may be employed. The gearing between the set shaft 2 and the vertical shaft 3 may comprise a beveled gear wheel 4 constrained to rotate with the shaft 2 and meshing with a beveled pinion 5 keyed to the lower end of the vert-ical shaft 3. The present invention is concerned with a power drive for the set shaft 2 and the set works geared thereto.

In the embodiment shown, an electric motor designated generally at 6, is provided. The motor 6 may be of any Well known type and is shown as an induction motor. Preferably the casing T of the motor is formed integral with the casing 1 and the field or stator 8 of the motor is mounted on this casing 7 in cooperative relation to the rotor or armature 9, 'th'e latter being fixed to rotate with an armature shaft 1() journaled in a bearing 11 provided on an integral part of the casing 7 and in a bearin 12 provided on an end plate 13 it' propriatey interfitted with and fastene to the open end of the casing 7. The armature shaft 16 has an extension 14 which projects i'nto the interior of the main portion of the casing 1 and which has an end journaled in a bearing 15 provided on this casa'ralleling the extension 14 on the armature shaft is a single countershaft 16, the counteishaft 16 being rotatably supported in bearings 17 and 18 provided on the casing 1. In general the countershaft 16 is selectively driven in either direction from the extension 14 of the motor shaft and has a driving connection with the set shaft 2. The driving con- 'nectiony `with the set shaft 2 may comprise a .piio'n 20 fixed to rotate with the shaft 16 and meshing with a gear wheel 21 keyed to the Yshaft 2. As will be noted from Figure 1 the beveled gear wheel 4 may be bolted to this gear wheel 21 in lieu of directly keying the gear wheel 4 to the shaft 2.

Means is provided for driving the countershaft 16 in the direction which ivill turn the set shaft- 2 to advance the knees and conip'rises a drive pinion 22 fixed to rotate with the shaft 14 and meshing with a driven gear wheel 23 mounted on the shaft 16 but rotatable relative thereto.

A multi )le disk clutch 24 is provided between 'the liub of the gear wheel 23 and the shaft 16. The clutch may be engaged or th'rown rin by swinging one or more clutch operators 25 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 1 and such swinging of the clut'c'h operators is effected by means of sliding a clutch collar 26 loosely fitted on the countershaft. The details of the clutch 24, its operator 25 and of the sliding collar 26 perse 'form no part of this invention and e'nce are not described in detail although the are clearly shown in the drawings.

iiorder that the drive of the motor 6 may a'lso be employed for imparting receding mot-ion to the knees, va. drive sprocket- 30 is also 5 "keyed to the motor extension shaft 14 and meshes with and drives a roller sprocket chain 31, the chain 31 also meshing with the teeth of a driven sprocket ivheel mounted on the shaft 16 but rotatable relative thereto. A multiple disk clutch is provided between the hub of the driven sprocket Wheel 32 and the shaft 16 and is similar in construction to the clutch 24 and like the clutch 24 is engaged under the control of one or more operators 34 actuated or controlled by the same sliding collar 26 that regulates the action of the clutch 24. Vhen the sliding collar 26 is in the position shown in Figure 1 both clutches 24 and 33 are disengaged and colisequently the countershaft 16 remains stationary even though the motor 6 is ruiming. As long as the conntershaft 16 remains stationary, no motion Will be transmitted to the setshaft 2 or to the knees.

The sliding collar 26 is moved along the shaft 16 by a shifter 40 having a two-part- Hanged bearing interconnected through a ball bearing assembly 26 with the collar 26 to constrain the collar 26 to move axially with the shifter 40 although permitting free rotation of the collar relative to the shifter. The shifter 40 also has a bearing 41 slidably fitted on a fixed shifter supporting shaft 42. Above the bearing 41 the shifter has a slotted extension 43 and through the slot of this extension a pin 44 extends, the pin 44 being received in openings provided in the extension and in the bearing 41 of the shifter.

Within the casing 1. a horizontal crank arm or lever 45 is fixed to a short vertical shaft rotatably supported in bearings `provided therefor on the casing 1 and this crank arm or lever 45 has a forked end 48 which extends into the slot of the extension of the shifter and embraces the pin 44 as will be understood from Figures 2, v3 and 4. The upper end of shaft v46 projects above the casing 1 and has a. horizontally disposed crank arm or lever 49 vtived thereto and extending at right angles to the crank arm 45. At its outer end the crank arm 49 is formed with a yoke 50 supporting a vertical pin 51 provided With a transverse opening 51 which receives a horizontal pin v52 carried by the bifurcations 53 of an arm of a. hand lever 54 supported as at 55 on a bracket 56 carried by the casing. The hand lever 54 also has an arm 57 pivoted to the upper end of a rod 58 which has nuts 59 threaded on its lower end and supporting a spacing and guide sleeve 60 which slides through a lug 61 formed integral with the bracket 56. A washer 62 abuts the upper end of the sleeve 60 and is engaged by al coil spring 63 encircling the rod 58 and having its upper end abutting a washer 64 engaged with a shoulder provided on the rod 58 in certain positions of the hand lever 54 and with an abutment 56 on the bracket 56 in another position of the hand lever.

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When the hand lever 54 is moved in one direction it acts through lever 49, shaft 46 and lever 45 to slide the shifter 40 to the right as viewed in Figure l and thus causes the shifter 40 to throw in the clutch 24 and thus impart advancing movement to the knees. As soon as the hand lever is released Y the spring 63 returns it to neutral position. Similarly, when the hand lever 54 is moved in the opposite direction it moves the shifter 40 to throw in the clutch 33 and thus impart receding movement to the knees.

Only a single countershaft is employed and a very much simplified gearing arrangement, and yet the motor selectively drives the set shaft in either direction. lVhile the chain and sprocket gearing is preferred, obviously ordinary spur gears may be used by interposing an idler' between the pinion fixed to the motor shaft extension and t-he clutch control gear on the countershaft.

What I claim is:

1. A power drive for set works comprising a set shaft, a single countershaft geared to the set shaft, a single motor driven shaft, a drive pinion fixed to the motor driven shaft, a driven gear wheel Ineshed with said drive pinion and mounted on said countershaft for free rotation relative thereto, a clutch between the driven gear wheel and the countershaft, a drive sprocket fixed to the motor driven shaft, a driven sprocket mounted on the countershaft for free rotation relative thereto, a sprocket chain trained over and establishing a driving connection between said sprockets, a clutch between said driven sprocket and said countershaft, and cont-rol means for said clutches whereby either said driven gear or said driven sprocket may be clutched to said countershaft to impart setting or receding motion to the set shaft or both said driven gear and said driven sprocket may be unclutched from said countershaft to permit the set shaft to remain stationary while the motor driven shaft is being rotated.

Q. A power drive for the set shaft of a 1 sawmill setworlrs comprising a motor driven shaft supported for rotationy in close proximity to the set shaft and in parallel relation thereto, a single counter-shaft interposed between and parallel to the motor driven shaft and the set shaft and directly geared to the set shaft, intermeshing pinion and gear members mounted on the motor driven shaft and counter-shaft, a clutch arrangement for regulating the connection of one of said members with its shaft, chain and sprocket gearing between the motor driven shaft and the counter-shaft and a clutch mechanism for rendering said chain andsprocket gearing effective to drive the counter-shaft from the motor driven shaft or for causing the chain and sprocket gearing to idle.

3. A power drive for the set shaft of a sawmill setworks comprising a motor driven shaft supported for rotation in close proximity to the set shaft and in parallel relation thereto, a single counter-shaft interposed between and parallel to the motor driven shaft and the set shaft and directly geared to the set shaft, intermeshing pinion and gear members mounted on the motor driven shaft and counter-shaft, a clutch arrangement for regulating the connection of one of said men'ibers with its shaft, a second set of gearing for reversely rotating the countershaft from the motor driven shaft and comprising a gear element mounted on each of said shafts, and an intermediate power transmitting element between said gear elements and a clutch mechanism for regulating the action of said last mentioned Set of gearing.

In witness whereof, I hereto afiix my signature.

VILLIAM B. GRUETER. 

